As the last few days before Christmas hurl themselves upon us, chances are there will still be some of us who have a few things left on the to-do list--or even worse--haven't even started shopping yet.  There's still hope, and it's still possible to be long on ideas, even if you are short on time.  Here are my last minute tips for saving money this holiday season:

Relax:  Make homemade bath salts as gifts that not only relax and smell nice, but that also soothe those achy limbs (from all that shopping) as well.  Get regular epsom salts and simply add essential oils and voila--enough bath salts for your entire posse.

Eat:  Take all your yum recipes your friends and family always gush over, and put them into a "book" as a gift.  You may be giving up a few secrets, but chances are you'll finally be the one sitting down and being served.

Love:  Have your kids create their own "scrapbook" for family members as a "year in review of favorite times with you".  Nothing too fancy, let them use photos and drawings to make something really special that will go into the hope chest, instead of the back of the closet.

Re-cycle:  Gather all the broken crayons lying in every nook and cranny of your house, take off the paper wrapping, spread the pieces around in a tiny muffin tin and melt it all down into new, exciting and psychedelic crayons, for all the kiddos in your life who only need a little something from you.  The broken crayons are finally out of your hair, and into someone's hands--instead of the landfill.

Up-cycle:  Do you have last year's Christmas cards still sitting in the bottom of your decoration box?  Use those card as this year's gift tags.  Cut out cute designs, personalize with love, and feel good about upcycling and saving even more money. 

These ideas cost next to nothing yet will keep your loved ones feeling special, and you feeling like a rock star.  Any gift giving with a little more heart than just a click and send, will always have that lasting impression.  And who knows, maybe next year you'll finally get all those sacred recipes you've been begging for year after year.

**Arianne reigns as the supreme procrastinator at her personal blog, To Think Is To Create